what's
in a surfing lesson?

First of all, by the end of the lesson, we try to make everyone's
last wave in a stand-up ride to the beach. We do this because
it's old California practice among the rank-and-file California
Surfers, to make the last wave in a good one. It's a good practice,
it gives you a good sense of accomplishment and keeps your mood
elevated for the rest of the day.

HERE'S HOW A surfing LESSON BREAKS
DOWN

1

We give you 30 minutes instruction on the beach,
just so that we can get you up and riding fairly fast, the sooner
the better, because you're the one who wants to surf. We try to get
it done on the beach, because it is harder and will take longer in
the water. We also go over some basics of water safety, like what
not to do to keep from getting smacked in the face by your own board,
or someone else's board.

AN INSTRUCTOR DEMONSTRATES
THE STAND UP. SURF STUDENTS PRACTICE IT.

2

Then we go out into the water with you, show
you how to get through waves with your board, then push you
into waves, catch your waves for you, so that you can start
standing up and riding right away. After half an hour, most
students are standing up and riding white water to the beach
with big smiles on their faces. After you can stand up, we show
you how to catch your own waves.

HERE
A GIRL FROM CANADA STANDS UP AND RIDES ON HER FIRST WAVE.

3

For the second hour, everyone surfs a lot of waves.
Hopefully, by this time, everyone is catching waves and riding them.
The biggest problem for the beginner at this stage, is knowing which
waves are going to be good for them. That's why instructors stay in
the water to help you pick the right waves, and try to show you a
little about wave judgment. For any students who are not at this stage,
we continue working with them until we get them as close to catching
waves and riding them as possible.

4

Toward the end of the lesson, we make sure everyone
is catching waves, standing up and riding, so that you can do your
homework for surf class, and that is go surfing on your own.

Riding a surfboard for the
first time is like riding a bike for the first time. Once you get
the feel of it, it's easy to get back to that feeling. By
showing you how to position your feet on the board and getting you
into the right waves, we get you up and riding so you can get the
feel of riding the board. This can takes
weeks on your own, but with our help, we'll get you there in half
an hour. And just like riding a bike, once you know how to ride, you
never forget.